Our urban winery’s location does not allow me to have a hands on monitoring of what goes on in the vineyard on a day to day basis. I do know that right now is an exciting time for growers as spring is near and bud break is just around the corner. Perennial plants (such as grapevines) bloom and mature over spring and summer then go dormant every autumn and winter after harvest. Spring marks the first emergence of the shoots that will grow to bear grapes by September. This can be a nerve racking time for winemakers whose first thought on very cold nights in spring is frost damage. Once bud break occurs, the flowerings are vulnerable to frost damage.
Frost occurs when the plant and grapes are colder than the surrounding air when temperatures are close to freezing. So when we have very cold nights, temperatures dip down and bring the temperature of the buds down with them, as the air warms back up sometimes the grape can’t quite keep up, and this causes frost damage on the vines. This type of damage affects yields and has the potential to drastically reduce fall harvest. When this occurs, it takes extremely dedicated vineyard management to maintain quality.
Hopes are very high for a great 2009 vintage in Santa Barbara County, and its beginning is just around the corner…
Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery
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